2012 has been quite a year for music. Alternative darlings broke out in a big way, taking over most of the radio. Giant albums from returning artists gave us critics something to lavish over throughout the year. 2012 was also the year that Youtube became a major player, helping push viral artists like Carly Rae Jepsen and Psy to the forefronts of the American subconcious. Without further ado, here is HST’s favorites of the year. [Read more...]
HST…Best Music of 2012
01/01/2013 by 3 Comments
Grammy Awards 2013: Nominees and Predictions
12/05/2012 by 1 Comment
It’s almost award season, and what better way to kick it off than a giant concert! That’s right, the Grammy Award nominations were presented last night (all five of them), and has shown a relatively strong year for alternative music. So what are we waiting for, let’s get right into the big four! [Read more...]
HST…Mixtape of 2012
11/30/2012 by Leave a Comment
Another year is coming to a close, which means many best of lists are starting to take fruition. And just like last year, I have compiled the best songs of the year into one cohesive playlist now known as the HST…Mixtape! [Read more...]
The State of Alternative: A Conversation
08/06/2012 by Leave a Comment
Music is always moving and evolving with the times, and as it pertains to the genre of alternative, it evolves rather quickly. So to help analyze the genre, I’ve recruited James from the Appetite for Distraction Alternative Top 10 Countdown to help me look into where alternative music is, where it’s going, and who is leading the way. Hope you enjoy. [Read more...]
HST presents…Songs Of The Summer 2012
06/24/2012 by 2 Comments
Summer is here, and that means every music scene is in full swing. There are giant tours going around (I will be reporting Warped Tour this year at the July 5th show in St. Louis), plenty of albums, and most importantly, the singles. It’s been a successful year for some of these bands, artists, or rappers, and a bountiful summer hopefully awaits with some of these songs. Take a listen and enjoy! [Read more...]
Musical Opinion: Will Anyone Become A Real “Classic?”
04/09/2012 by Leave a Comment
Back when I was younger, I was brought up on whatever was playing in my family’s car radio. Normally, it was the “oldies.” These oldies, including The Beatles’ “Elanor Rigby,” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Boston’s “More Than A Feeling,” contributed to not only my personal tastes in music, but some of my first memories of music period. This thought got me thinking; what does it actually take for a band or artist to be considered classic now? Music is an ever evolving form of art, and the standards to be classic back then don’t exactly bring a comparison to what it takes now. And even if we stayed at those standards, can anyone nowadays match them? [Read more...]
Review of fun.’s ‘Some Nights’
02/19/2012 by 1 Comment
It’s funny what a couple of well placed television spots can do for a band. Before Glee covered it, and way before it was used in a Super Bowl commercial for the Chevy Sonic, fun.’s first single “We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe)” was just another promising track that got buried beneath the mainstays of the alternative rock scene. Now, both the original single and the Glee cover have reached #1 on the iTunes charts respectively, and Nate Ruess and company are becoming everybody’s new favorite band; jumping on their increasingly fast moving bandwagon. [Read more...]
Review of Anthony Green’s ‘Beautiful Things’
01/11/2012 by Leave a Comment
A little while ago, someone asked me who my favorite frontmen were in today’s music. Though the rest of the five I listed took some time to spit out, the first name to come out was Circa Survive’s Anthony Green. His overall lyricism, the signature voice inflection, and his overall stage antics (like climbing into Jimmy Fallon’s balcony section while performing on his talk show) is what makes him better than the rest (IMO). That pick was only confirmed after reading the incredible Alternative Press cover story this month; how he had to overcome some personal demons and problems family wise is truly inspiring (if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you grab an issue when you see it). [Read more...]
Looking Ahead to 2012 – Quarter I (January – March)
01/08/2012 by Leave a Comment
With our lists of favorites of the past year done, it is now time to look ahead to what is to come this year. [Takes a gander] Holy F there is a lot! Did you read year? No, I said year through March. Silly you. Here is the list from your favorite writers at HST for what we are most excited for and hoping will end up on our “Favorite of 2012″ lists come year’s end. [Read more...]
HST Winter: Great Songs For The Holidays
12/13/2011 by 2 Comments
When I was younger, my family and I would sit around our Christmas tree, open up presents, and listen to some of the most classic Christmas songs of yesteryear. Some Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Brenda Lee, and a little bit of Nat “King” Cole made my Christmas mornings incredibly memorable. However, as I grow older and my musical tastes change, I pushed some of those classics to the side and started finding some more recent holiday songs to start filling my December with new memories. [Read more...]
HST Highlights…fun.
10/07/2011 by Leave a Comment
Every Friday, I will be writing a feature about a new/up-and-coming band or artist that the public should be aware of. The first entry is still one that I am kicking myself for not getting into sooner. [Read more...]
